Orphaned Innocence
by Dracae
Summary: Orphans from the streets of New York City stumble upon the infamous Peter Pan, who of course, takes them to Neverland.
1. Prologue

_There is an orphanage in New York City where many orphans find shelter. It is run by an elderly old man, Mr. Harrison, who was once an orphaned child himself. But he has recently passed away, and his son, Steve Harrison, is supposed to take over the orphanage. But Steve cannot stand the filthy lifestyles the orphans have lived and decides to kick them out, using the orphanage as a mansion for his wife and himself. The orphans are forced out onto the street once more, stealing and begging for food. They keep each other's spirits up by telling stories around a fire late at night. And one certain boy always likes to drop in and listen..._


	2. Eavesdropper

_The stars began to settle into the night sky, and the full moon shone down on the city buildings. A dark figure made its way across the stars growing bigger, though almost no one ever took notice of it. A small glowing light had followed close behind the flying figure. Peter took his time flying, and did a small loop before landing atop one of the buildings he often did. Peter was careful though, making sure it was deserted first. He looked around for any signs of others in the alleyway below, and saw several small figures. Some were huddled by themselves in a corner, and others sat close by to one another. He smiled to Tinkerbell, as he flew over to a lower building nearby, so maybe he could listen to what they were saying. He hoped they would tell more of the story tonight, so he could return with the end of it to the Lost Boys back in Neverland. Tinkerbell hovered in the sky between the two buildings for a moment, wanting to go down and have an even closer look than Peter would, though he would not have it. Peter motioned for her to hurry up and come over to where he was. _

"Tink" _He hissed quietly at her, but at the same time with a demanding tone of voice to her name. _

Tinkerbell listlessly flew over to where Peter was and peered just slightly over the edge of the building's rooftop to have a listen, just as Peter was doing. He didn't want to risk being seen just yet by any of the other children, if he could avoid being seen at all. Peter yawned as the minutes went by and he could barely make out what they were saying. He began to grow tired, though Tinkerbell did not. Peter flew lower to an old abandoned stairwell and landing, hiding in the corner of the unstable rusty landing, eavesdropping on what the stories being told below. Tinkerbell sat nearby lying out on the floor of the landing and staring up at the night sky as she listen to the accounts being told below her. She smiled at Peter, and he smiled back as well, happy that no one knew of their presence every night in the alleyway.

"Tell it to us again, Malise" _Niyati said as she huddled under her blanket near the fire._ "The one of the boy and the fairy and the pirate. The one with Neverland and the crocodile! We all love that one, Malise."

_Malise tried to hide a faint smile on her lips, but failed, as she walked over to the fire and sat down. She drew up the hood of her jacket and began to speak._

"Okay, okay, fine." _She cleared her voice and once again began to speak softly, under the light of the moon and stars and the hub-bub from the city roared in the distance._ "They say all children grow up. Except one. Once upon a time, there was a boy called Peter Pan. He was born into a beautiful family, with all he could ever dream of having. But one night, while he lie in bed, he heard his mother and father talking about what he was to become, when he was a man. Peter never wanted to become a man. He never wanted to work, he wanted to fight pirates, have adventures, play. So he ran away from home, to a nearby park, where a fairy by the name of Tinkerbell found him and brought him to Never Neverland..."

_Malise continued for quite some time, as some of the children would cheer at certain parts, and gasp at others. Laugh here and there, and once, when Tinkerbell was thought dead, they cried. Some would act out the scenes for fun. No matter how many times Malise told them the story of Peter Pan, they acted as though it was the first time they had heard it._

"...So Peter left Wendy to grow up. So she could become a real mother one day. He still lives in Neverland, and I would guess he still comes into the Real World, taking children who never want to grow up into his Land. And maybe tonight, as we sleep, he shall come for us"

_Malise smiled at the excited faces that she saw, but told them it was all time for bed. None of them gave her a fuss, all were happy to sleep and dream of Peter Pan and his Never Neverland. Minutes passed, and most of the children had fallen asleep. Malise had chosen the most comfortable corner she could find, and drew her knees up to her chest, getting ready for her watch that she had almost every night of the year._

_Peter had also fallen into sleep, huddled in a corner on the landing, much like Malise below him. Tinkerbell had found her way to Pan's shoulder, just beginning to find a comfortable position to nod off, as she was startled by the sound of (to a faerie) was a loud noise. The landing below Peter's feet began to wane and pull loose, the once secret hiding place now collapsing within minutes. Tinkerbell was now wide awake and tugging urgently at Peter's hair hoping he'd wake up. The landing and staircase made a long screeching noise, tearing loose from the building it had been clinging to only moments before. Luckily none of the children were under it as they slept. They seemed to know better than that. Peter seemed to forget at the crashing moment that he could fly, though he held his hands out to balance himself. The staircase tore as well, though not all of it fell apart from the building. Peter landed hard on the ground and groaned in pain a little. He shifted his body a little through the rubble atop him, and tried to make his way out. Tinkerbell had fled in fright, and hiding close by in a garbage can, watching and waiting to see what would happen to him._

_Malise had jumped up at the sudden noise and told the children who woke up to stay back. As everything came crumbling down, she spotted a body falling with the rubble. She ran over to where the clutter of twisted metal was and began kicking her way through it, finally coming upon a boy who looked maybe a year or two younger than herself, but not much shorter. She dragged him up by his shoulders and stood him on his feet, brandishing her fists._

"Who the hell are you" _Malise asked, throwing her soft and gentle voice she so often used around the children aside._


	3. Found Out

_Ermelia had listened to the story with wrapt awe. Peter Pan had always been her favourite tale and she was amongst those who would re-enact some of the parts with obvious relish. Story-time was one of the only times all of them forgot about their circumstances._

After the tale had been finished, Ermelia set her back against one of the walls, slightly away from the others she had gotten closer to as the story had unfolded. She always preferred to have something at her back when she slept. It made her feel safe.

No sooner had her eyes finally began to droop with sleep, than a large commotion startled her awake with a yelp. She leapt up, ignoring Malise's quiet order to stay put. For all she loved Malise as an older sister, she had always had a problem following orders.

Cautiously, she left the others, and crept over to peek after Malise, who was sorting through some rubble that seemed to have fallen. Ermelia shook her head, and turned to go back to sleep when a flitting light caught her eye in the darkness. Startled, Ermelia turned towards it, taking a hesitant step towards it.

It was hiding in the garbage, whatever it was. Anything that hid in the garbage could not be such a threat, she supposed. Gathering a little of her courage, she edged closer, to find a small ball of little moving around rapidly in the garbage. Wait, no, not a ball of light. It was a... Ermelia rubbed her eyes, staring. It could not be possible.

"Unbelievable." _She whispered reverently._

_Tinkerbell now freed from under the various rubbish, flew out as fast as she could, knocking herself into the girl who had found her full force. Tinkerbell bounced against the wall, though quickly gained her composure as she saw someone had seen Peter, and had pulled him out of the rubble. He was bleeding in various places, though only a little, having a few small scratches luckily. _

_  
Though as Malise threatened him, Peter frightened, flew up against a wall, placing his small hands against it. Momentarily Peter Pan had forgotten all about the sword at his side and was rather preoccupied with the fact he had been found out. The moonlight shown down on him more so, revealing his clothes, and more so that he was no ordinary boy. He looked around at the other children that had awakened, but was a bit scared from Malise to say much. _

_  
Tinkerbell flew over at Peter, and tugged at his hair, yanking it, wanting to get out of the alleyway. Though, he stayed there in a frightened state from his fall, and from Malise's words. Peter was shaking slightly from his fall and he gazed momentarily watching the blood trickle down his arm from one of his scratches._

_Malise grabbed the boy's ankle as he flew upwards. Wait a second. Flew! Her eyes scanned the boy and the small ball of light near his face. There was no mistaking it. He wore clothes made of leaves, and you could just FEEL adventure leaking from him. It was Peter Pan..._

Malise dropped the boy's ankle and stepped backwards, away from him, tripping over some of the rubble and falling on her back. She winced, and got back up, putting her arms in front of the rest of the children, not letting them get any closer. She then tilted her head and squinted at the boy.

"Peter"


	4. No Ordinary Boy

_Ermelia let out a second startled cry for the night, as she jumped backwards as the faerie flew at her, stumbling over her own feet and falling to the ground. She watched in awe, as she flew around, before tugging on a boy's hair. Not just any boy. It could only be..._

"Pan! Malise, it's Pan" _She cried out, ignoring the fact the older girl probably had already realized this fact. She ran forward before Malise could hold her back, coming almost directly under the boy as he hovered, staring up in delight. The boy who never grew up. The fearless boy who fought pirates and talked to mermaids. She grinned in delight._

"Hello! I'm Ermelia" _She told him excitedly. Maybe he would even take them to Neverland!_

_He smiled, seeing that after all maybe they weren't much of a threat as he thought. Though that didn't stop Tinkerbell from pulling on his hair. She flew down next to him as he landed on the ground, in bare feet. He took his hands to his hips proudly, though fixed them politely as he took a bow in front of the children._

"The one and only." _He stood up again with a grin on his face. Tinkerbell hovered next to him, pestering him to leave. He flicked her away for a moment, having been annoyed by her actions, and his smile faded slightly._

_Malise couldn't help the grin on her face from spreading, and the warmth coming into her cheeks. She had never thought that in a thousand years...She had always wanted to believe Peter Pan and such characters were real, but living in conditions such as these, it was a tad difficult not to have the weight of reality weigh down upon you._

"What are you doing here" _She asked in a disbelieving voice. She was sure this scene would look utterly ridiculous to anyone passing. A group of orphans talking to a boy dressed in leaves and a glowing ball next to him._

Niyati watched on from behind Malise's slowly falling arms with wide, dark brown eyes. She slipped under Malise's makeshift human barrier and bowed before Peter.

"Have you come to take us to Neverland"

_Ermelia grinned even wider as Niyati asked the question she was sure was on all their minds at that very moment. She watched the fabled boy as he made a show of looking considerate of the question. She joined in the game, throwing herself at his feet._

"Oh please! We'll do anything! Take us to Neverland Pete" _She begged, trying not to giggle. She felt ridiculous, of course, but something about the boy made her want to over exaggerate._

"I came to listen to the stories." _He stated plainly, as if Malise should have already known that. He didn't exactly know if he had come to take them back to Neverland, though it wasn't a bad idea._

_He grinned a little at the over exaggeration of a particular girl, and pulled out his sword quickly scaring back some of them. _"If you think you can battle fierce pirates, and keep away from the mermaids giving you a watery grave."_ He said in suspense, grinning all the while. Peter let the silence filter in between the orphans and himself while he flipped the sword back next to his side, like the show off he happened to be at times. He loved the attention. _

"Then sure, you can come."_ He finished off nonchalantly giving a mischievous, yet tempting smile. _


End file.
